Mid Zil-Haja 212 A.H. in “Seria” somewhere around Medina, the house of Imam Jawad (a.s.) is enlightened by your presence as they pick Ali to be your name.
You are younger than eight when your dear father passes away a martyr and you are left with the heavy duty of Shia Imamate. Everybody knows you by good attributes like scholar, faqih (jurisprudent), trustworthy, passionate and guiding, but you are better known as Hadi (Guider) and Taqi (Pious).
It’s the time of political disorder of Abbasid rule when the problems in government on one side and the corruption and injustice of Abbasid rulers on the other cause revolutions by Shiite and Alavid people, all suppressed by Abbasid rulers.
Mo’tasem, Vaseq, Motawakel, Montaser, Mosta’in, and Motaz all make living harder for you and your followers but the cruelty of Motawakel is unthinkable.
Motawakel had a deep hostility towards Imam Ali and his descendants and if he knew someone loved them, he would have confiscated his property and killed him. Including Ibn Sakiat the known poet and loyal friend of Imam Jawad and yours.
Mo’tasem once asked him “do you better like my two sons or Hassan and Hussein?”
This wrong comparison made Ibn Sakiat so angry that he answered “I swear by God that I like Qanbar, the servant of Imam Ali, better than you and your sons”. Motawakel ordered his guards to cut his tongue.1
The demolition of Imam Hussein’s tomb made Muslims so angry that they wrote slogans against Motawakel on the walls and mosques and poets rebuked him through satires.
Despite all hostilities of the ruling dynasties, Allah had destined that you guide His servants. All plots were thwarted and you finally prepared the grounds for the birth and growth of the Savior of Mankind.
* Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
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1- Tarikh al-Kholafa p. 348
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